book reviews, recommendations and more!

Search

Search for:

Text Widget

This is a text widget, which allows you to add text or HTML to your sidebar. You can use them to display text, links, images, HTML, or a combination of these. Edit them in the Widget section of the Customizer.

[REVIEW] ‘Dare To Fall’ By: Estelle Maskame

MacKenzie Rivers seems like she has it all figured out. She has great friends, she’s doing well in school and her handsome ex-boyfriend is desperate to win her back. But something is missing from her life in Windsor, Colorado. And as much as she hates to admit it, that something might be Jaden Hunter. Tall, blond and athletic, a year ago Kenzie was falling fast for him and his crooked smile. Twelve months later, everything has changed. A tragic accident has destroyed Jaden’s family and, despite the way she feels, Kenzie has no idea how to talk to him anymore. She is all too familiar with the impact family tragedy can have on the people she loves, and she can’t bear to go through it again with Jaden. She does the only thing she knows how to do: walk away. When the pair meet again by chance one night, Kenzie realizes that she can’t ignore her feelings for him any longer. But as she is drawn back into Jaden’s life, she finds herself caught between her increasingly volatile best friend, her interfering ex-boyfriend and her own fears about opening up to Jaden. Will Kenzie dare to fall for the one person she’s so afraid of growing close to?

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Review:

Estelle has created a insightful, compelling, and wholesome new cast of characters in her newest novel and first standalone.

I’ve read Estelle’s first books (the ‘Did I Mention I Love You?’ Trilogy) multiple times, and absolutely loved it. ‘Dare to Fall’ follows a totally new storyline and characters, which I was excited to read. Unfortunately, ‘Dare to Fall’ isn’t released in America yet. A friend of mine sent me a copy over from the U.K., and I finally had some spare time to read it. I love how the cover ties in with the story. I won’t spoil it here, but the aesthetic of the lake and mountains does come into play!

I really liked Kenzie, the lead character. While it totally sucks that she ignored Jaden and his sister for so long, once her reason is explained it does make sense. Although misguided, she’s just trying to protect herself in the best way that she knows how.

I also was happy that Estelle didn’t try to create some weird sort of best friend love triangle with Will or Holden, because I think that would have undermined the feel of authenticity of the book. Honestly, if I were Jaden I don’t know if I would have forgiven Kenzie for ditching me when I needed her. I definitely would have been more standoffish, like Danielle, Jaden’s twin sister was.

Estelle’s writing style makes the book easy to read, and I read it within two days! Jaden and Kenzie had such cute chemistry, and I loved them together. The tension between Holden and the Hunter built nicely, and the foreshadowing as to why was pretty subtle. The ending leaves some issues a bit open ended, so I would have liked if some things were tied up a bit more, especially because I know it’s a standalone! But overall, I really liked it and I can’t wait for Estelle’s next book to be released!

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR! You can follow Estelle on twitter at @estellemaskame and on Instagram at @estellemaskame!